Introduction

When buying an oven, getting extra features such as bridge elements, keep-warm elements, convection, and adjustable broiling can be difficult to do for people who have budgeted less than $1,000 dollars for a new oven. Fortunately Maytag's MER8880AS, a freestanding electric range, makes it possible to find high-end features without breaking the bank (MSRP $1100, on sale for $990). Heck, it even has that stainless steel finish everyone's been jonesing for.

In our tests, the MER8880AS's rangetop performed very well in boiling, simmering, and searing. We found a flawed and complex character in the oven, finding good in the convection setting, and bad in the conventional setting. With a solid broiler and water-based cleaning system, this oven could be fantastic for your kitchen—especially if you've made the jump to convection cooking.